Platform Ballerinas
by AlliceKitty13
Summary: Jasper moves across the country to the small town of Forks, Washington to locate his long lost mother. Along the way, he enlists the help of bartenders Alice and Rosalie as well as their ragtag group of friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Some things, this story is rated M not because there will be smut (I'm not comfortable writing that.) But because I write from a place of experience. To do that in this work, there will be many mentions of alcohol and nicotine use. I chose to give this a mature rating as I absolutely DO NOT advocate for the underage use of those substances.**

**...**

**Jasper**

Jasper collapsed onto his couch, having finally finished unpacking the last of the boxes in his new home. He'd been in the small town of Forks for about two weeks and had taken his time putting the small apartment together. He picked up his phone and turned it over in his hands, staring at the blank TV in the corner. He hadn't left the building much and was tiring of the small DVD collection he'd brought with him. The Wi-Fi wouldn't be hooked up until he found a job, and he didn't find cable necessary in the age of Netflix and Hulu. Besides, even cable costed money he had a limited supply of at the moment.

Deciding it would be a good idea to get out of the house and meet some new people, he stood stretching out his long legs. He grabbed the gray hoodie he'd left draped over the arm of the couch and ventured out the door. Making sure he had his keys and the apartment was securely locked, he made his way out of the building and over to main street where he'd noticed a few small bars a few days prior. It was late on a Sunday, but from what Charlotte had told him of growing up in a small town, bars were usually open seven days a week as there was little else to do.

The walk was short, but he found himself chilly in the October air, Washington state was a drastic change from the warm weather of Texas and would take much getting used to. He passed two bars before finally finding one that appeared to be open. There were only two cars outside, which only deterred him slightly, assuming one belonged to the bartender that left him one person to talk too. At least, he hoped.

Opening the door, he was met with a small dim room, plenty of seating, and a counter directly to his right. A blonde woman in a leather jacket was sat on a barstool behind the counter, typing away on her phone. She looked up when he entered and quickly shoved it in the back pocket of her jeans. He took a seat in the middle of the counter, and as she approached him, he noted the side of her head was partially shaved. Once she reached him, she leaned forward against the counter and spoke.

"You're a new face. Got ID?" The words were cold and laced with annoyance. He pulled out his wallet, searching for his drivers' license, currently useless without a car. He slid the small piece of plastic across to her, attributing her tone to a probable endless array of local teens trying to buy booze underage.

She studied the ID carefully before handing it back to him. "So, what can I get you new face." She asked, looking at him intently, her demeanor relaxing slightly.

"What do you recommend." He replied, smirking.

A devious grin began to spread across her face. "Is that a challenge, new face."

"Not so much," He replied. "I like trying what the bartender recommends. I've tried some good combinations that way."

"I hate to disappoint, but my drink of choice isn't that interesting."

"Try me." He said, thinking to himself that uninteresting and familiar might not be the worst thing right now. He'd come to Forks for a reason, one that was sure to entail plenty of excitement. With a thud, the girl set a highball glass of brown liquid with a single ice cube in front of him. "Whiskey on the rocks?" He asked.

"Jameson with a splash of Dr. Pepper." She nodded. "I like the touch of sweet the soda adds. Simple but effective."

He took a sip and found himself enjoying it, funny enough Jameson was a go-to of his although he'd never tried it with the soda. As always, asking for the bartender's input hadn't failed him. "So, what's your story." She asked, leaning back against the shelf full of bottles behind her and crossing her arms. "Not often we get new customers in this place, let alone at this hour on a Sunday."

Jasper kept quiet; he'd been expecting this question yet wasn't quite sure how to answer. He knew that at some point, he'd have to get around to tackling why he'd come. That point, however, would be after he'd found a job. It was impossible to know how long it would take to accomplish his goal. Even in a town small as Forks finding, someone who may not actually want to be found would likely take a while. "You could start with a name if that helps." The girl said after a moment, eyeing him curiously, "Mine's Rose."

"Jasper."

"Well, Jasper, what brings you to the middle of nowhere."

He decided on honesty, in his experience, bartenders were good with secrets, and from what Charlotte had said, in a town like this, they also knew just about everyone. Being honest with the girl may prove beneficial when he finally decided to get down to his search. Taking another sip of his drink, Jasper began to explain to this stranger the reason for his sudden appearance in Forks. "I'm looking for my biological mother, I hired a PI back in Housten, and last he told me she'd been living around here. I couldn't afford to pay him any longer, so I moved across the country with nothing but a name and location."

"So, you've got a mystery on your hands then." Her face lit up, and she dropped her arms. "What's the name? I know just about everyone around here. Maybe I could fast track your mission."

"No offense, Rose, but I'm not ready to start looking quite yet. I only just got my apartment put together an hour ago. I don't know how long this will take even with help. I don't know anyone here, I don't have a job or a car." He hung his head, "I have a lot to check off."

"Well, you know me." She stepped forward and rested her elbows on the counter once again. "What kind of work are you interested in?"

He took another sip of his now half-empty drink. "I'm an aspiring journalist."

"As luck would have it," She beamed I actually know someone who works for the local paper." She paused for a moment to go over some things mentally. "You should come to a haunted house with me tomorrow. My friend will be there. Who knows, if our little ragtag group doesn't put you off, maybe you can cross friends and a job of that list of yours in one night." Jasper stared at her blankly, contemplating the idea; it would be nice to meet some people and even better to quickly find employment. He slowly nodded his head in agreement with the idea.

Rosalie smiled and turned around to grab a notepad and a pen from next to the register. "Here," She began writing something down. "This is my number, I'll text you tomorrow with the details."

Jasper took the paper, created a contact for her in his phone, and sent a quick message so she'd have him as well. He slid the phone back into his pocket and finished the last few sips of his drink. "Well, I'd better get going. Thank's for the drink and the invite."

"Come back anytime." She waved before walking back to her stool.

Jasper exited the bar and pulled his hoodie tight against him, cursing his poor clothing choice for the second time that night. He thought to himself that he really would need to get a coat as he made the trek back home. He'd passed a secondhand clothing store a few blocks back. He noted it would be a good idea to stop in tomorrow before heading to this haunted house Rose had invited him too.

He thought of Rose as he unlocked his door and collapsed onto his bed. She seemed nice if a bit intimidating. It was kind of her to invite someone she'd only just met on an outing with her friends. It was also interesting to have a conversation with the bartender. Most of the bars in Housten were so crowded and busy all the time that the employees really didn't have the option to chat with customers.

He sat up and made his way to the dresser to change into his bedclothes before turning in for the night. Closing his eyes, he hoped everyone in Forks was this nice, it would make finding his mother a lot easier. One more thought crossed his mind that caused him to snap open his eyes in a panic. This wasn't a date, was it?

He sat up and stared at the phone, charging on the bedstand next to him. Should he text Rose to clarify? He didn't want to start dating again at the moment, having just gotten out of a bad relationship. All he wanted was to start over in a new place and find out what happened to his mother. He hadn't even told his adopted parents where he'd gone. The only people he'd said a word about his intentions too were his best friend Peter and his wife, Charlotte.

He took a few breaths to clear his head, maybe he was overthinking things. Surely Rose was just being kind; he'd show up tomorrow and access the situation. If this was meant to be a date, he'd find a way to let the girl down gently and face the consequences whatever they may be. He laid back down and assured himself that it would all be ok; with that thought, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

**...**

**This story will be split POV, I've always steered away from that in my writing because I know it's not considered "professional." But, it's something I've been wanting to experiment with. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here it is, you guys! Chapter Three. I'm honestly sorry it took me so long to get this up. Between depression hitting me hard in January to COVID shutting down my primary source of income, forcing me to take more paying writing gigs instead of being able to write out of enjoyment, it's been rough. Life is slowly starting to return to a semblance of normalcy, and I intend to get back on schedule with all my works.**

* * *

"Allice!" Bella looked up from her book in exasperation. "For the last time, settle down, or you can wait for Em and Rose outside!" Allice had spent the past hour dancing in the kitchen of Edward and Bella's apartment. Bella, who was lounging on the couch trying to grade papers, found this distracting.

"I swear to god, I work all day dealing with teenagers only to come home to find you acting like you live here. Honestly, sometimes you make me wonder if you're actually twenty-six considering you could give my students a run for their money in the immaturity department.

Allice rolled her eyes, hit pause on her playlist, and skipped over to the armchair adjacent to her best friend. Sitting on her knees, she leaned forward to face the other girl. "Hey, Bells, why do you hate fun."

This comment warranted a full-on belly laugh from Edward, who'd been watching the girls bicker for the past hour, earning him a glare from his fiance. Edward raised his hands in defense and turned back to his laptop. Bella rolled her eyes and closed the binder she'd had open on her lap. Placing it carefully on the end table to her right, she turned to face Alice, "Why are you here, anyway? Don't you have an entire house you can burn off your seemingly endless supply of energy in?"

"It's lonely without Em and Rose there."

"Ok, but why our tiny apartment. You could go spend time with your sister."

"Cynthia thinks I'm annoying." Alice shrugged, adjusting herself in the chair to hang upside down.

"_I _think you're annoying." Bella scowled.

Edward once again chucked at the girls' back and forth. "Come on, Bella, give her a break, you love having her here. The two of you would be lost without each other, and you know it."

Bella groaned and was about to make another comment when the front door opened, and in stepped Emmett and Rosalie. The latter of whom made her way to the refrigerator to grab a can of soda. "Sure, Rose, just make yourself at home in my apartment and help yourself to whatever you want." Bella glared from her position on the couch.

Rosalie rolled her eyes as she plopped down on the couch next to the angry woman. She popped the tab on the can and took a long swig of Diet Coke before speaking. "So, I invited some dude to come to the haunted house with us tomorrow."

Edward, who had given up on getting any work done and had long since shut down his computer at this point, gapped as the blonde in astonishment. "That's very kind, and unlike you, Rose."

"Look at my girl playing nice and making friends." Emmett joked, wrapping an arm around the blonde and placing a kiss on the crown of her head.

"I will uninvite him if one more person in this room calls me nice," Rosalie warned.

"Rosalie, you're so mean and scary." Alice placated her, sitting down cross-legged on the floor in front of her. "Now, will you please tell me more about the new friend?"

"He's new in town, and told me he was looking for a job and new friends." She shrugged before turning her attention directly to Alice. "He's tall, blonde, southern." She paused for suspense, noting the small girl's widening eyes. "And. His name is Jasper."

Alice felt her stomach drop in disbelief and stared wide-eyed at the blonde. She bit her lip and pulled her legs tightly into her chest, burying her face in her knees to hide the enormous grin threatening to burst across her face. She stayed in that position for what felt like an eternity. It was possibly finally happening after a decade. She wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream, to jump and dance. She wanted to run a mile; she was flying high. Instead, she sat unmoving, thinking back on her most frequent dream.

_She's walking into the bar and sees a man sitting in the middle of the counter. He's tall blonde, and devastatingly handsome. She struts over to him, smoother than she's ever moved in her life, ignoring every other customer wanting her attention. She leans forward against the counter and looks him dead in the eyes and hold our her hand. "Hi, I'm Alice."_

_"Jasper," He replies in a smooth southern drawl taking her hand._

Jasper shows up in other dreams and understands her and appreciates her for who she is. For the broken soul, she hides behind an overly bubbly facade. He's her friend because he genuinely likes her. It's not because he's friends with her bother and feels compelled to like Ed and Rose or because he takes pity on her like Bella. Her dreams don't always come true, though they do more often than not. But she had faith in this man's appearance and the changes he would make to her life. She can have someone to genuinely lean on and turn to.

"Alice?" She's pulled from her thoughts by Bella's concerned voice. She doesn't know when she had knelt down next to her on the floor, but she's there looking at her with eyes filled with worry, hand on her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting. "Are you Ok."

She looked up at her friend with watering eyes and a genuine smile. "I've never been better."

* * *

**Don't worry, Jalice will still fall in love. But I'm trying my hand at some angst right now, and both have been through some SHIT. They both need a friend more than a romance at this juncture. Alice's visions have shown her the possibility of a future romance, but at this point, she's excited because she's seen him as a true friend to lean on without judgment.**

**I'm eternally grateful to everyone who's enjoyed this work. Thank you for reading, kudos and comments keep me going 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, guys, I'm so sorry this took me so dang long to get out. I was struggling with the first meeting between Jasper and Alice. I am not too fond of the idea of copying the official meeting but; I did want to pay homage to it because it's probably my favorite piece of Twilight media. Hopefully, you guys like what I did here; bonus points if you catch all the references.**

* * *

Jasper allowed himself to sleep in the next day, figuring he'd follow Rosalie's job lead and postpone his hunt for employment until seeing how that trail panned out. Checking his phone, he noted no messages yet from Rosalie and hoped she hadn't forgotten or been leading him on. He did have a text from his ex, which was immediately deleted without reading. One from his adoptive mother wondering where he'd gone, and two messages from Peter checking in on the investigation.

Jasper left the message from his mother, unopened. But responded quickly to his best friend and informed him of his plans for the night and the possible job lead. Of course, Peter immediately saw through him and called him out on using putting off looking for a job as an excuse to delay the search for his mother. He was absolutely correct.

It wasn't that Jasper didn't want to find the woman; he'd moved across the country for that very reason, of course, that's what he wanted. But that didn't make him any less scared. He shook off the thoughts, not wanting to think about that right now, and got dressed. He'd told Peter he needed to pick up some warmer clothing, and that one wasn't an excuse. Washington nights were much colder than expected, and he really would need a coat.

Two hours later, Jasper returned home with an array of shopping bags. The lady at the thrift shop had been very helpful, maybe a little too helpful. He couldn't help but wonder if her kindness had stemmed more from wanting to make a sale than from actually preparing him for the upcoming winter. He had trouble believing that snow could be hitting within the month but ultimately decided safe was better than sorry as he purchased the snow boots she had told him he absolutely needed.

After putting his new clothing purchases away neatly, he rechecked his phone, still no message from Rosalie. With a sigh and nothing better to do with his time, he threw on his new, used coat and made the trek back to the bar. Maybe he'd see the girl again, and she'd clue him in on what was going on.

The building was slightly livelier than the last time; an older burly man sat near the at one end of the bar entrance engrossed in a basketball game playing out on the T.V above the bar. At the other, a group of women Jasper assumed were in the medical field due to their scrubs gossiped together. He didn't see Rosalie behind the bar; in fact, he didn't see anyone. Looking around the small room, he wondered if somehow he'd missed her. He must have looked helpless as one of the women called out to him. "She's just popped out for a smoke, should be right back." Jasper nodded, and she turned back to her group.

He decided to prepare for a wait and took his spot from the night prior. However, shortly after sitting and draping his coat over the chair to his left, the door to the outdoor area opened, and two people entered—an older man with a white beard and a small girl with short black hair. The girl's eyes widened upon seeing him for a short period. If he'd chosen that moment to blink, he would have missed it as she quickly composed herself and made her way behind the counter to him moving so gracefully that if someone had told him she was floating, he would have easily believed them.

"Alice. Carol, and I need another beer." One of the ladies called out to the girl, but she either chose to ignore the request of didn't hear the woman as she glided past, eyes zeroed in on Jasper.

Once she reached the spot across from him, she leaned forward against the counter and held out a hand, an excited yet nervous smile playing at her lips as she spoke. "Hi, I'm Alice."

He looked at her for a moment, noting that she was stunningly beautiful, and her smile lit up her entire face. Her blue eyes sparkled with genuine happiness, and looking at her, he felt an immediate sense of trust. He reached out to take her offered hand. "Jasper."

Letting go, she beamed and began to question him, "So, tell me about yourself." He raised an eyebrow, confused by her interest in him yet intrigued all the same.

"Like, what's your favorite color? What kind of music do you like? Who's your best friend?" Her words were excited and rushed; she seemed to realize this as she suddenly looked down with a blush.

"You don't have to answer all of those if you don't want to." She muttered, all excitement having vanished.

Recovering from the emotional whiplash Alice had given off, he answered all three of her rapid-fire questions. He wasn't exactly an open book, but he wanted to see her smile again. "Blue, Alternative, a guy from back home named Peter and my childhood friend Maria."

Alice seemed to perk up slightly at his willing response, offering him an apprehensive smile. "You seem nervous." He commented

"You make me nervous." Was her shy response.

Jasper placed his hand over hers in what he hoped was a comforting response, unsure why he felt so intent on making her feel more comfortable or why he was so relaxed in her presence having only known her for the past ten minutes. "I don't mean too."

"Alice, can you stop flirting long enough to get me another drink?" She blushed and quickly pulled her hand away before making her way over to the burly man Jasper had noticed upon entering the bar.

"I wasn't flirting Earl!" She hissed at the man taking his empty glass.

Jasper watched as she expertly prepared the man another cocktail moving behind the bar with exemplary grace. She set the drink in front of the man moving to the nurses she'd ignored upon coming back inside, grabbing their beers with an apologetic expression. He became contemplative as the girl chatted with the women. Had she been flirting, for that matter, had he? He'd been too enraptured with her captivating presence to think. He felt conflicted; on the one hand, he was in Forks on a mission and didn't need to be distracted by a relationship. He also wasn't sure if he planned on staying or for how long. On the other hand, he had to admit he felt a pang of disappointment when she'd been so quick to deny she was flirting to the old man earlier. She was stunning, and he felt inexplicably calm in her presence.

He was so lost in thought he didn't notice when Alice reappeared in front of him. "Are you gonna get that?" she pointed to his phone set out on the counter in front of him, buzzing, indicating a new message. Glancing at the screen, he noted Rosalie's name and hurriedly opened the message.

"_Hey dude, sorry for taking so long to hit you up. Meet me at the fairgrounds round 7:30 if ur still game :p" _

He quickly penned a response telling Rosalie he would, in fact, be there and looked up at Alice. "I have to go; your co-worker Rosalie invited me to a haunted house with her friends and wants me there in an hour, so I should go get ready."

"I heard about that." She giggled, "Go on, I'll see you there." She gave him one last look, gently biting her bottom lip before turning around to tend to her other customers.

Jasper left the bar with a grin on his face and a flutter in his heart. He wasn't sure why but knowing Alice was going to be there had him feeling much more excited than he had been that morning.

Jasper arrived at the fairgrounds fifteen minutes late; once he realized Forks didn't have any ridesharing services, he'd resigned himself to walking, which took longer than expected. The location wasn't terribly far from his apartment but was tucked away in an obscure area.

He silently thanked the universe for Google maps as he glanced around the parking lot, searching for either Rosalie or Alice's familiar faces. He spotted the tall blonde in a group of people, relieved to see someone he knew, and made his way over, slightly disappointed upon realizing Alice wasn't among them. She had been fun if a little confusing to talk too... she was also pretty cute. He shook his head at the thought, he was here on a mission, which didn't include jumping back into another relationship.

"Jasper!" Rosalie exclaimed once he reached the gathering. She leaned against a jeep next to a large bearlike man who was easily Jasper's height, which was quite a feat. Sitting on a bench to the pairs left was a short blonde woman who discussed something seemingly crucial with an ordinary-looking woman with brown hair who seemed very distressed by whatever the subject was. To their right, a man with reddish-brown hair looked like he'd just been punched in the gut; he was turned away from the group talking on the phone to someone in hushed tones.

"Don't mind them," Rosalie followed his gaze; Bella got some news this afternoon. The guy the phone who looks like he's gonna puke is her fiance.

"Is everything Ok?" Jasper asked, concerned.

"Everything's fine, and I think they're overreacting." Her tone was laced with distaste, and Jasper decided to drop the subject.

He figured he should get the 'date' issue out of the way sooner than later as he didn't want to lead her on. "So Rosalie," He hesitated as she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I don't know if this was supposed to be a date or something, but I just wanted to be clear that I'm not interested in seeing anyone right now."

"Oh," Rosalie frowned. "I'm sorry this is such a huge misunderstanding. See, this is my husband." She gestured toward the large man standing behind her. "I didn't realize you were hitting on me..."

"Oh, god, no!" Jasper pulled at his sleeves, nervously. "It's my fault for assuming. You were just trying to be nice. I should probably go. This is pretty awkward."

"No, stay." The man chuckled. "I'm Emmett by the way, I'm sorry about Rose. But I'm sure we can all move past this, it'll be a funny story to look back on in a year or two."

"Exactly," Rosalie chimed in. "We can get going as soon as Alice gets here." She squinted at something over Jasper's shoulder. "Look at that, here she comes." Rosalie walked past Jasper and stood, hands on her hips, glaring in the small girl's direction. To her credit, Alice seemed utterly unphased by the intimidating look as she practically danced over to the group.

"Rose!" She gleamed, "I'm so sorry I'm late, you see first Kate was late to her shift, and then I had to go home to change because you can't just go to a haunted house in work clothes." She giggled as if that was the most absurd thing in the world. "What do you think?" She twirled, showing off her dress to Rose.

"I think you should get a watch." Rose curtly replied, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Aww, babe, calm down." Emmett laughed, approaching Alice before picking her up into a bear hug. "You look beautiful as always, Lil' sis."

"Put me down, Em!" She giggled; as he set her down gently, she finally noticed Jasper over her brother's shoulder. "Hi, Jasper!"

"You should apologize to him for keeping him waiting." Rose chastised the small girl.

"No, honestly, it's fine. I only just got here myself." He chuckled, thankful for the subject change, and if he was honest with himself, happy to see the girl again. Alice beamed and went in for a hug before being pulled away by Emmett.

"Allice, we've talked about this." He looked down at his sister gently but sternly. "You can't just hug people without permission, especially people you've only just met."

"But we've met before!" She defended to Emmett and Rosalie, who exchanged a concerned look. "Not like that," Alice rolled her eyes. "He stopped into the bar this afternoon."

"Not like what?" Jasper asked, confused, and slightly taken aback by the look shared by the couple.

"It's nothing." Rosalie deflected. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the group.

* * *

**This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written, and I hope you guys liked it.**  
**What do you think's up with Bella?**  
**Do you like my portrayal of these characters?**  
**Leave a lovely little review and share your thoughts; comments are the fuel that keeps me going 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**I want to give a shout-out to twilight_tea for helping to edit the haunted house passage as well as my friend C for letting me borrow some ideas from my hometown's real life annual haunted house.**

* * *

Rosalie led the group over too the bench not far from where they'd been standing and introduced Jasper to Edward, who greeted him with a slight wave before stepping further away. He was still on the phone, probably with his dad Alice thought with an eye-roll. His actions earned him a stern glare from Rosalie, but she shook it off quickly proceeding to introduce Jasper to Tanya and Bella, who'd stopped their chat abruptly as soon as the group got within earshot.

Tanya, ever the social butterfly, immediately engaged in conversation with the new additions about their various opinions on haunted houses giving Alice an excuse to pull her best friend aside to check on her. She felt terrible for missing Bella's calls and texts earlier that afternoon while talking to Jasper at the bar, although she couldn't deny that every second with him had been worth it. "So, what's going on, Bella? You seemed pretty distressed in your messages." She asked, taking Tanya's now-vacated spot on the bench.

Bella sucked in her bottom lip and stared at her feet. "I found out something big earlier and just really needed someone to talk too. I don't wanna get into it right now with so many people around." She glanced around at everyone gathered nearby, her eyes hovering over Jasper for a second longer than anyone else. "Especially people, I don't really know."

Allice frowned slightly, narrowing her eyes with concern for her friend. Seeing the worry written over Alice's furrowed brow prompted Bella to elaborate. "It's nothing bad, I promise! I was just really freaked out, and as usual, Rose wasn't being very helpful. But Tanya got me calmed down, I promise." The brunette looked over at her fiance as she spoke. "I'd worry more about Edward right now anyway; he's been on the phone with his parents for the past half hour and only seems to be freaking out more."

"Typical Edward." Alice chuckled halfheartedly; she was a bit upset that she'd been too distracted to be there for her best friend, mentally berating herself as Bella gave her hand a gentle squeeze before heading over to join the gathering of friends. She felt like she'd been messing up several things lately, but she didn't want to deal with those feelings now. It was generally significantly more comfortable concealing them deep inside a mental vault where they would mainly only slip from her subconscious when alone. With that in mind, she took advantage of everyone's momentary distraction to squeeze her eyes tightly shut and ball up her fists, mentally compressing her dark and insecure thoughts to the back of her mind. When she reopened her eyes, her bubbly and overly happy mask was back on; giving a quick scan of the crowd, she felt confident no one had noticed the display.

"Guys!" She smiled brightly as she skipped over to her friends, squeezing into the spot between Jasper and Emmett. "Are we going to stand around talking about all the spooky things that go bump in the night, or are we going actually go check out this fantastic haunted house our good friend Garrett put together?"

"Yeah, you guys are on your own for that one." Tanya smiled gently, pulling her coat tighter against herself, "I just came to talk to Bella. I don't do forty-degree weather or jump scares. Besides, I'm pretty sure Kate told me this thing is supposed to be two to a group, and I make us an odd number."

"Suit yourself." Rosalie gave a shrug dismissing the woman. "Alice is right, though, I want to be terrified, so let's get going."

After exchanging goodbyes with Tanya and making plans to meet up at the bar later, the group followed a long white cheesecloth path decorated with bloody footprints leading to a small shacklike building. Inside, Jessica sat behind a table with two stacks of papers and a box filled with orange wristbands setting on top of it. She looked up from her phone as they entered the shack, quickly locking the device and sticking it into the waistband of her leggings. "Hey, guys." She spoke in a bored tone nodding at the group as they entered simultaneously, pulling a paper for each of them from the stack. "Just need you each to sign a waiver before I can let you through."

Once everyone had signed away the right to sue in case of injury, Jessica gestured to the wristbands still sitting on the table. "If any of you don't like being touched, I can give you one of these. They glow orange in the dark, so the actors won't try to grab you or anything if they see one." Bella expelled a breath of relief, reaching out her hand for one of the bands.

"Awesomesauce," Jessica continued stepping out from behind the table. "The passages are narrow, so it's two to a group... who's up first?"

"Me and Emmett," Rosalie spoke, pushing past her friends to the front, pulling her husband behind her. She eyed her friends with a look that silently dared anyone to argue with her.

Jessica led the pair out the door; she returned almost instantly, proceeding to make her way back to the table. "Pretend I'm not here," Jessica quickly pulled her phone out again as she made herself comfortable in the plastic chair.

The remaining four friends looked at each other, making themselves as comfortable as possible in the small cramped room. Bella and Edward took the space on a small plastic bench pushed against one of the walls. Alice, ever the free spirit, had no qualms about taking a seat cross-legged on the floor in front of the pair. Jasper leaned uncomfortably against the wall next to the bench.

Once seated, the group lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Edward had taken his conversation from phone call to text, just as distracted as Jessica, utterly oblivious to the going on's surrounding him. Jasper was awkwardly staring at his boots.

Alice couldn't take the quiet anymore; she was trying to think of something to talk about when Jasper broke the silence. "So, I'm not really sure what the dynamics here are, and I was just wondering who's going through with who?"

"Well," Alice started out suddenly nervous, "I'm going out on a limb here and assuming Bella wants to go with Edward, she looked to the brunette for affirmation and was met with an enthusiastic nod. That would leave you and me if that's alright?" By the end of the assessment, she'd hung her head and glanced up at him for a reaction. To her surprise, he seemed relieved as he happily nodded in acceptance.

"Awesome!" Alice smiled with genuine happiness, the warm feeling of joy spreading in the pit of her stomach. As everyone settled once again into a quiet, she noticed how uncomfortable Jasper looked. That simply wouldn't do, she thought to herself. She rose from her position on the floor, making her way over to where Jasper stood to lean up against the wall next to him. "You okay?"

"I'm not big on new people or jump scares. I'll be fine; it's just a lot all at once." He whispered to her, careful to keep the conversation between just the two of them.

"Oh," Alice frowned. "You can hold my hand if you want; that always makes me feel better." She felt nervous after making the bold offer, saying whatever came to her mind was a bad habit of hers. It usually didn't bother her what people thought, but Jasper was different. She desperately needed him to like her and to be on her side.

"I'd like that." The response was paired with an honest, grateful smile.

"So why come to a hunted house if they scare you?" Alice prompted, trying to keep the pleasant chat going. However, she was cut off by a loud shriek of terror from outside.

"RUN!" The scream's sound was loud enough to be heard even in the shack, instantly catching the attention of even oblivious Edward, abruptly ending the conversation.

"Well, guys, that's your cue." Jessica rose from her seat at the table once again to step toward the door. "Who am I taking down next?"

"We'll go." Alice turned to face her friends. "As long as that's okay with all of you?" Bella gave a nod of approval as she leaned into her fiance, once again wholeheartedly distracted by his phone conversation.

"Works for me; the sooner we go in there, the sooner we get out." Jasper pushed himself off of the wall to make his way over to Alice and Jessica, the latter of whom opened the door and led them outside to an archway constructed from wood.

"Good luck, and remember, don't touch the actors and you break it, you buy it." Jessica gave them both a thumbs up before running back into the shack.

Alice gave Jasper's hand a gentle squeeze as they walked through the archway into a narrow hallway, filled with fog. The air around them cleared, as the duo stepped down a ramp into a cold, stable like room. The walls were covered with overlapping wooden planks, and they could see outside through the cracks. A loud banging noise could be heard from behind the boards, near a doorway leading to an outdoor area.

Jessica was right about the halls being narrow, as there wasn't much room to navigate, and they had no choice but to head in the direction of the banging. As they approached the doorway, Jasper peeked his head through and looked around. "I don't see anything." He murmured.

"Then let's go before something sees us!" Alice giggled and skipped ahead. Jasper followed closely after her. The outdoor area was a dried-up clearing, surrounded by high metal sheeting for walls, and a large wire cage sat in the middle, taking up the majority of the space. Inside the enclosure were actors dressed as zombies who started lunging for the walls as soon as the pair entered their field of vision. Alice held back laughter, recognizing some of her friends and customers among the crowd and waved to Eric as he reached through the grate, attempting to grab at her and Jasper.

They passed the zombie cage with little incident until they reached the end of the clearing. They heard the loud banging once again. Rounding the final corner of the cage, they were met with a large man in ragged, torn, bloody clothing standing with his back to them. He held a large, ominous-looking bat with nails seemingly covered in dried, coagulated blood, poking out of it in random directions. He swung the bat at the wall producing a similar banging sound onto the metal panels.

"I thought I'd gotten all of you DAMN ZOMBIES!" He shrieked. With that statement, he turned around and started towards them, slowly and wildly swinging the bat.

Jasper took off, bolting in the other direction, but Alice couldn't hold in her laughter anymore and doubled over in hysterics. "I can't." She managed to get out between giggles, "I can't take you seriously, Jake."

"Alice! You're supposed to be terrified." He dropped his arm to his side and slumped his shoulders, effectively breaking any illusion of terror there had been.

"Look," She straightened herself out, huffing slightly, winded from her laughing fit, "I don't know if it's because I helped make that costume for you, or because you've been one of my best friends for _years, _but this just isn't doing anything for me in the 'quaking in my boots' department."

"You could have at least restrained yourself from laughing!" Jacob said affronted.

"I think you know me well enough to realize that's simply not true at all," Alice said, smiling.

Jacob agreed to the sentiment with a sigh and an eye roll. "You should probably go find your friend. I think I at least managed to get to him."

"I think you're right, I'll see you at the bar later. Don't worry. Bella's coming through next, and I know you'll get her!" She left him with a smile and a wave. Alice decided she'd definitely be buying him a beer later, as she ran off to find Jasper, who was waiting for her at the next doorway.

The only way forward was through a small wooden crawl space, so the pair got on their hands and knees to make their way through the dark tunnel. The tunnel was short, as a recording played of strange-sounding whispers echoed through the cramped space as a surreal trick of lighting casted shadows that appeared as ghosts surrounded them.

They exited the tunnel and entered into another room made up of a series of twisting narrow corridors. The whispers continued to play barely audibly, and the lights continuously flickered, promoting an atmosphere Alice could only describe as… frightening.

In the distance of the hall, they'd been let out at, a small child actor stood dressed in ghoulish clothing, his face, pale and dreadful, facial features obscured by the dim light. The child peered underneath his eyelashes at them, smiling sinisterly at the duo. He skipped towards them and stopped just in front of Jasper. "Will you play with me?" He lilted playfully, leaning forward on the balls of his feet.

"No, thanks, kiddo, but we appreciate the offer. Maybe next time," Jasper responded, slowly backing away from the ghastly child.

The child didn't seem to like his response as his demeanor quickly became menacing. "Mommy didn't want to play either, that's why I got rid of her. But I'll give you... another chance. Let's play tag, I'm it." The child lunged forward to grab Jasper's arm.

"Joke's on you, I'm good at this game. Let's go, Jasper!" Alice quipped quickly, pulling Jasper away from the child, and the pair took off running, avoiding jump-scares and various creatures of horror attempting to reach out to grab them. The ghoulish child chasing them down the narrow, winding corridors. Unfortunately, they eventually reached a dead end.

The walls were constructed from cracked mirrors, seemingly a dead end. However, that didn't stop the ghoul from following, and there was nowhere else to go. Alice was sure they hadn't taken any wrong turns and studied the mirrors with care, noting that when she looked closely, she could see a faint light emanating from the one to her left and, taking a chance, pushed on it.

Thankfully, it worked, swinging open to reveal a hallway bathed in a blinding light, which caused the ghoul to turn back in fright and panic. Grabbing Jasper's hand, she led them down a dark hall as the lights began to flash, thrusting them into absolute darkness every few seconds.

"Are you afraid?" A soft high feminine voice called out from the darkness as the lights switched off completely. It was pitch black, but Alice could make out a dim light just ahead of them. The pair cautiously made their way in that direction, hearing occasional faint giggling as they slowly trekked toward it.

"Are you_ not_ afraid?" A petite blonde girl stepped out from a nearby alcove as she neared the dim light, staring them both in the eye, menacingly, and unwavering in her gaze. An evil grin crossed her face, and she laughed maniacally before jolting her head to the side and bending backward, contorting her body, so her hands were on the floor and crab-walked back to the alcove.

Alice made a mental note as they continued past to compliment Jane on her performance later. Impressed not only by her developing gymnastic abilities but also by how she had been able to terrify her with just a look given Alice had babysat the younger girl as an infant.

She was quickly jolted from the thought as they rounded another corner and were met by a boy who echoed words similar to the previous encounter. "Are you sure you're not afraid... TO DIE?!" He shouted the last words as he rushed toward the pair but was grabbed at the last moment by a red-headed woman in a tattered white dress.

"Go!" The woman shouted breathlessly, her mane of hair cascading around her. "RUN!" She shouted. The scream from behind her was blood-curdling - the children were angry, furious, even jolting the pair into running down the hallway as fast as they could. Moments later, Alice could see the exit just ahead of them, prompting her to slow her speed to catch her breath. She glanced at Jasper to her side to make sure he was doing okay; at that moment, they both heard a chainsaw to their left. Glancing over her shoulder, Alice saw a tall, lanky man grinning at them with his head cocked to the side, holding the saw and heading in their direction. With that, Jasper grabbed her hand, and they booked it out of the building, running for the grandstands where Emmett and Rosalie were waiting.

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**Thanks for reading, be sure to leave a review as I crave validation.**


	5. Chapter 5

Jasper had met quite a few new people that night; after they had left the haunted house, Alice had given him a ride to the bar where many of her friends and customers were gathered. Her car had been a frantic mess, as chaotic as the woman who owned it. The backseat was filled with clothing and books, he had only just met her, but it somehow felt fitting for the girl.

She had made a point of sticking by his side for most of the night; she'd said something early on about not wanting him to feel lost in a crowded room. He had been grateful for the gesture, but that had been hours ago. She was now nowhere to be found. He'd struck up a conversation with a man named Garrett, who was the owner of the local tattoo parlor as well as the mastermind behind the thrilling attraction they had attended earlier in the evening. Garratt was a fun fellow with whom Jasper quickly found he had a lot of common ground. From musical tastes to a shared affection for history to a fondness for tattoos. The latter subject being something they had spent quite a while discussing going back and forth showing off their pieces, the man had even offered him a slight discount if he wanted some work done while still in town.

They had sat in the back corner for a least an hour, if not more, when Jasper had noticed his tiny companion was no longer sat next to him speaking with Garrett's girlfriend, Kate. He looked around the room, not spotting her anywhere, he'd only just met the woman, but he was worried. Back in the parking lot, as they were chatting before heading into the haunted house, Jasper had noticed something that concerned him. She had been sitting alone after her friend had joined the rest of the group; Bella, if he remembered correctly, that girl hadn't made much of an impression. Alice had looked so very sad, as though something heavy weighed on her. She'd squeezed her eyes and fists tightly, and when she opened them again, she was the bubbly fun social butterfly she had been the rest of the night. It was clear she was masking something; he'd seen it before, hell he'd _done _it before. He wasn't one to armchair diagnose, but something was not right. So when she had disappeared, he was worried.

He'd wandered around the building, asking the few people who's names he'd remembered if they had seen the girl. Most people just shrugged him off; it was one of the actors from the haunted house, a man named Jake who had pointed him outside, suggesting she'd went outside to smoke. Jake had informed him it was a drunken habit of Alice's to wander off for a nicotine hit and end up vibing alone to whatever music was playing.

The instruction had ended up being spot on; he'd exited the building into the smoker's area to find he alone sitting on a table hidden away under the awning in a spot most people wouldn't pass. Her eyes were closed; her head leaned back against the wall, her short legs dangling off the edge of the table as her feet gently swung back and forth. . The butt of a burnt-out cigarette dangled from her limp fingers resting at her side. A sad smile graced her face giving her a look of tragic peace. He noticed then just how tiny the woman truly was as the darkness almost swallowed her slim frame. Her drink, a red mix of cherry-flavored whiskey and Sprite, was abandoned sitting next to her, the ice long since melted as condensation formed on the glass.

He wanted to approach her but wasn't exactly sure what the proper thing was to say to someone you had just met yet felt an inexplicable urge to protect. Maybe it was his own past experiences, having been found in similar positions many times over. Perhaps it was how small she was, yet she seemed to bear so much weight on her shoulders. It was clear just how much she carried people even in the short time he'd had to interact with her. He wondered how many of her friends picked up on the small signals she sent out that she was in pain if her family noticed any of the signs she exhibited that something was wrong.

"Jasper," She called out suddenly, "you sit next to me and ask what's wrong... or am I remembering this one wrong? It's not often I get it wrong, but it happens, especially if I'm drunk, and I'm definitely drunk." Her words were slow, slurred, and surprising he had no idea how she knew he was there. He hadn't made a sound, and she hadn't opened her eyes.

Her words confused him, he had no idea what Alice meant by the statements, but he figured a cryptic opening was better than none and obliged the woman. He strode over to the table, taking a seat next to her, "What's wrong?"

"Ever feel like everybody knows you, they all like you, but they don't actually give a shit about you? I've been sitting here for an hour and a half, you're the only one who came to look for me, and you don't even know me yet... you will, of course, we're gonna be really close friends. Maybe it's my own fault for being selfish? I missed something so important today because I was off meeting a cute guy. Sure, I've been waiting so long for today, but I still could have taken the time to check my phone. It feels like we're all the same age, but I'm so far behind like they're all on a different level, and I just keep failing the growing up challenge."

She had started crying as the pent up emotions flowed from her in an incoherent jumble. Jasper found himself wondering just how long it had been since someone had actually asked her if she was Okay. "I just feel so... ornamental sometimes. Like I'm just a warm body, no one actually cares, and my friends and family actively hate me and just keep me around out of pity. I try so fucking hard ya know, I try to be a good sister, a good friend, to be nice to everyone. I put my own happiness on hold all the time, and where does it get me? Sitting outside a bar drunk, alone on a Monday chainsmoking. I'm just... so pathetic ya know?"

"You're not pathetic." He spoke up when she had remained silent long enough for him to accept she was done rambling out the disconnected pieces of genuine concerns. "I know I don't know you, but you're clearly dealing with a lot. I don't know how long I'm going to be around, but..." He hesitated, "I'll be your friend if you want; you can talk to me if you need to get this stuff off your chest."

"Thank you," She smiled sadly, wiping at her tears. "That sounds nice... also pizza... pizza sounds good." She laughed; he realized it was the first genuine laugh he had heard from her since they had left the haunted house. His heart broke ever so slightly for the woman as he thought over her ramblings, trying to make sense of the pieces.

"We can get pizza, as long as you promise to talk about this coherently tomorrow; you should not keep all that bottled up."

In response, she jumped off the table and grabbed his hand, leading him out to the parking lot. She tossed him the keys before climbing into the passenger seat of her car, leaving him silently grateful he wouldn't have to convince the woman she was in no state to drive. She gave him terrible directions to a local gas station that served pizza twenty-four hours.

They ate outside in the parking lot, tossing simple questions back and forth. Favorite colors, musical tastes, preferences in literature, finding they had many shared interests. Eventually, he got her sobered up enough to convince her she should go home to sleep off the alcohol and let her family know that she was safe.

At her house, they had argued; she'd insisted he take her car home that he shouldn't have to walk across town in the cold because she couldn't drive herself home. He had joked that she just wanted an excuse to talk some more, an accusation she did not deny.


End file.
